By Sam Amico / The Amico Report

HOT SUMMER HOOPS

When it comes to the NBA, my favorite time of the year is July.

There, I said it.

I know, you're probably thinking, "Great. I can't wait to see Amico try to explain this one."

But this is a time of year for signing free agents ... for taking a long look at your draft picks ... for starting over.

Heck, even the Atlanta Hawks can dream about winning the title -- it's July. That's not meant to pick on the Hawks, but to show that this is truly a time to not feel guilty about having high hopes.

Of course, my favorite thing about July is watching the summer league games, and all the players on NBA rosters who will never actually play in the NBA. They work, hustle, sweat, take charges, and throw elbows. All for the right to sit at the end of somebody's bench and guard the water cooler in December.

And a couple of them will even make it. Those who don't can still say they got closer than you or I ever did.

July is also a good time for general managers and coaches to convince their owners that all is well. In July, GMs like to use words and phrases such as "rebuilding" or "much-improved" or even "playoff run." There will be planning and plotting, wheeling and dealing, contract talk and trades.

For the most part, July is a month when winning and losing have nothing to do with crisp passing or steady shooting. This is the game as it's played in the summer -- and most team executives will tell you it's the most important game of all.

As Houston Rockets GM Carroll Dawson once told me, "This job used to take six or seven months. Now it feels more like 13."

That may not exactly sound like loads of fun to a coach or a GM -- but it sure does to me.

THE CAVALIERS & LeBRON

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be happy to know I visited Akron the day after the draft and saw SEVEN people wearing LeBron James jerseys. Another guy was wearing a T-shirt sporting the team's new logo and colors.

That may not sound like a lot, but keep in mind this was less than 24 hours after the Cavaliers took James with the No. 1 overall pick -- and only a short while after the jerseys even went on sale.

It still hasn't hit most Cavalier fans that James will be playing for Cleveland, or that their team will be the most watched in the NBA next season. As a native of Northeast Ohio, I'll be the first to admit that good things just don't happen to Cleveland's sports teams. Until now.

-- Having said all of that, the truth is the Cavaliers still need to obtain an experienced point guard and probably another veteran to lead. They also need to hope forward Darius Miles comes a little closer to reaching his potential, and with James on the team, Miles better not mind coming off the bench. But no matter how good James is, the Cavaliers can't expect to win more than 25 games with their current lineup.

-- A poll on Cleveland.com asked fans to vote for the free agent who they would most like to see the Cavaliers sign. Forty-percent voted for former Cleveland point guard and Clippers free agent Andre Miller. He beat out Gilbert Arenas (16.8), P.J. Brown (13.5), and Gary Payton (9.5), to name a few. I voted for Speedy Claxton, but only because Cleveland native Earl Boykins wasn't on the list.

-- Finally, this newsletter would not be complete without a special goodbye to Bob Price, the longtime Cleveland p.r. man who is leaving the Cavaliers after 20 years to pursue a teaching career. The men and women who work in NBA media relations departments are usually ignored by the general public. But they are the ones who put together the media guides, keep updated statistics, and mostly, have to juggle all kinds of personalities to make sure everyone stays happy -- from pesky reporters to cranky coaches to disappointed players. During the season, the p.r. people often go into work at 7 a.m. and get home sometime after midnight. Bob Price was no exception. The highest compliment I can pay Price is to say he loved his job, and was darn good at it. Covering the Cavaliers will never be the same.

WESTERN UPRISING

Five years from now, I wouldn't be surprised if the following teams were the top four seeds in the Western Conference: Denver, Golden State, Memphis, and Seattle.

Let's start with the Nuggets, who could improve dramatically next season with the addition of a quality point guard, such as Andre Miller or Gilbert Arenas. You especially have to like the Nuggets' chances if they can re-sign forward Juwan Howard, still one of the game's most underrated players. Plus, Carmelo Anthony is my pick for next season's rookie of the year.

But no matter what happens next season, the Nuggets are in great shape for the future.

As for Golden State, no, I don't completely understand why the Warriors drafted swingman Mickael Pietrus with their first-round pick -- especially when young and talented swingmen such as Jason Richardson, Mike Dunleavy, and Jiri Welsh are already on the roster (as is veteran shooting guard Bob Sura). It makes you think some sort of trade is in the works.

Either way, the Warriors are loaded, as the roster consists of the perfect mix of athleticism and overall knowledge of the game. All they need is some experience playing together.

Then there's the Grizzlies and SuperSonics. Say what you will, but I loved the deal that the Grizzlies pulled off on draft day, when they acquired the rights to point guard Troy Bell and shooting guard Dahntay Jones from Boston. Both have plenty of big game experience after playing for major college programs, and a few observers called Bell and Jones the two best natural athletes in the draft.

Meanwhile, the Sonics have Ray Allen, who provides a great place start. Mostly, they have plenty of promising youngsters such as Nick Collison, Luke Ridnour, Vladimir Radmanovic, and my personal favorite, Rashard Lewis.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

-- For whatever reason, I love Kenny Thomas' game. And that is why I think Philadelphia did the right thing by offering Thomas a contract extension. The 76ers forward averaged a very underrated 10.2 points and 8. 5 rebounds per game, and as Sixers GM Billy King said, "Kenny is young, he's athletic, and he's versatile enough to score from the perimeter. Plus, he always plays hard."

-- All this talk about unrestricted free agent Scottie Pippen returning to Chicago has brought something troubling to my attention. In reading an article about the possible move, I noticed that Pippen led Portland in assists at 4.4 per game. That's right, no other Trail Blazer passed for more than 4.4 assists! In fairness, the Blazers were pretty deep, which made it difficult for anyone to stay on the court for long periods of time.

-- Know what I love most about San Antonio forward and league MVP Tim Duncan? The answer is, you never seem to see the word "wants" after his name in headlines. As in, Duncan "wants a pay raise ... a new shoe deal ... another coach ... and so on and so on." He leaves the negotiating to his agent, the managing to management. And by the time you read this, Duncan will probably have already signed an extension that will make him a Spur for life.

-- I know Chris Marcus has peanut brittle for feet, but it's hard to believe no one in the draft wanted to take a chance on a 7-foot-1 guy with real low-post skills. It always seems like GMs pass these type of players up for little-known Europeans, who have no realistic shot at making the roster. But I wouldn't be surprised to see Marcus find a spot on some team somewhere.

-- Others who didn't get drafted who I expect to see on NBA rosters next season include sharpshooting guard Carl English, speedy point guard Jason Gardner, and my man Bernard King Jr. (no relation to Bernard King Sr.).

-- Believe it or not, it appears Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling will ante up and re-sign forwards Elton Brand and Lamar Odom to long-term extensions. And that could do wonders for the other players' collective psyche.

-- Atlanta did not extend a qualifying offer to swingman Dion Glover, making him an unrestricted free agent. Guard DerMarr Johnson is another Hawk who's a free agent, which could open the door for second-round pick Travis Hansen to make the team. Johnson is coming back from an automobile accident that forced him to miss all of last season, although I expect him to eventually become a major player in the league if he can stay healthy.

-- The Los Angeles Times reports that Indiana may be working on a sign-and-trade deal that would send Al Harrington and Austin Croshere to Milwaukee for Gary Payton. Personally, I think Payton will retire a Buck.

-- L.A. Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak told the Times that he would like to add a guard and "at least two big players" to the lineup. Meanwhile, Robert Horry is a goner, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him end up in Atlanta or back in Houston.

-- Orlando is reportedly taking a long look at acquiring one of the following big men: Michael Olowokandi, Brad Miller, Rasho Nesterovic, Juwan Howard, and P.J. Brown.

-- As you already know, Dallas and San Antonio will each be making a pitch to sign Alonzo Mourning -- although Mourning has said his first option is to return to Miami. That's no surprise, considering Miami can pay him more than anyone else. Meanwhile, the Mavericks might try to bring back forward Roy Tarpley, who was banned from the league a decade ago for drug use. Tarpley is now 37, has reportedly got himself cleaned up, and applied for reinstatement in June.

READER FEEDBACK

From Jaret Stent

Q: I read in a recent Amico Report that you were going to start referring to the Heat as "the Heaters," simply because you think all nicknames should be plural. That's ridiculous. How would you like it if I called you "Sammer"?

A: Dear Jaret, believe me, I've been called a lot worse. At any rate, since you're not the first person to complain about this, I promise to go back to calling the Heat by their (its?) proper name. The sad thing is, I was just getting ready to refer to Orlando as the "Magics." It reminds me of a team in Akron called the Barberton High Purple Magics, my favorite all-time nickname. Best of all, everything in Barberton is painted purple -- even the drive-in movie theater! I know all of this is pointless, but hey, it's MY newsletter.

From Tracy Joseph

Q: What were the Milwaukee Bucks thinking when they drafted T.J. Ford with the No. 8 pick? Do they really think he can replace Gary Payton or (since-traded) Sam Cassell at point guard?

A: Dear Tracy, I can't tell you what the Bucks were thinking, but I can tell you what Bucks GM Ernie Grunfeld was probably saying. He was probably saying, "What the heck? Since I'll be running the Washington Wizards next week, T.J. Ford ought to be a pretty good pick for the Milwaukee Bucks." In all seriousness, the Bucks probably knew they were going to trade Cassell and Ervin Johnson to Minnesota -- and Ford was the best point guard available. But I agree, Ford is one player about whom I have my doubts. All I kept thinking during the entire draft was, "If T.J. Ford can play in the NBA, why can't Omar Cook." Of course, that's probably just my affection for New York City point guards speaking. As for Ford, I expect him to become The Next Travis Best. In other words, Ford is a hustler who should be a solid backup in the league for a long time.

From JaRon Tyler

Q: Who are your top five underrated free agents this summer?

A: Dear JaRon, glad you asked. Here are my top five (position, last team played for): Walter McCarty (F, Boston), Raja Bell (F, Dallas), Jerome Moiso (F, New Orleans), Chris Whitney (G, Orlando), and Jimmy Jackson (G, Sacramento). All five of those guys are unrestricted free agents, which means they are free to sign with any team without having to worry about their old team matching the offer.

SUMMER LEAGUE UPDATE

-- The LA Summer Pro League will run from July 6-20 in Bakersfield, Calif., and consist of 10 teams (Lakers, Clippers, Golden State, Seattle, Memphis, Houston, New Orleans Denver, Toronto).

-- Orlando's summer league runs July 8-12 and consist of six teams, including LeBron James and the Cavaliers. The other five are Detroit, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Miami, and the host Magic.

-- Boston's summer league will be held July 14-20. It consists of 10 teams (Boston, New Jersey, Cleveland, San Antonio, Atlanta, Milwaukee, New York, Philly, Washington, and Dallas).

-- Finally, the Rocky Mountain Revue will take place July 18-20 in Salt Lake City. It also consists of 10 teams (Phoenix, Utah, Denver, Chicago, Dallas, Portland, Indiana, Philly, San Antonio, and New Jersey).

-- NBA TV will televise 27 summer league games, beginning with the Lakers-Warriors matchup July 9 at 815p.m. EST.

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HAVE A GREAT DAY!


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